Masslandlords Newsletter May 2017

May 2017

HOW TO AVOID BEING SUED FOR TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION IN MASSACHUSETTS: A Landlord’s Guide

Pros and Cons of COLLEGE SUBLETTING

LESS COST, MUCH MORE REPORTING Under Proposed Changes to Massachusetts Lead Law

Contents 3 5 6

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

It’s Okay to Ask

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS HOW TO AVOID BEING SUED FOR TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION IN MASSACHUSETTS:

A Landlord’s Guide

5

10

13

LESS COST, MUCH MORE REPORTING

Under Proposed Changes to Massachusetts Lead Law

18 Pros and Cons of 21

COLLEGE SUBLETTING REGIONAL SECTION

2017 DISCRIMINATION FINES ALREADY EXCEED $155,000,

Target Nonprofit Landlords

6

10

2 • MassLandlords Newsletter

13

18

May 2017

Published by MassLandlords, 14th Floor, One Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142.

The largest non-profit for Massachusetts landlords. We help owners rent their property.

We also advocate for better laws. info@masslandlords.net 774-314-1896 THE MASSLANDLORDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Russell Sabadosa, through 2021 Pietro Curini, through 2020 Joyce Nierodzinski, through 2019 Yvonne DiBenedetto, through 2018 Michael O’Rourke, through 2017 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Douglas Quattrochi dquattrochi@masslandlords.net MANAGER OF MARKETING AND EVENTS

Alexis Gee

SR MANAGER OF SERVICE AND MARKETING

Sue McMahon BOOKKEEPING

Vipan Garg, Simran Kaur MANAGER OF ADVERTISING DESIGN AND PLACEMENT

Paul Ssemanda

MESSAGE BOARDS, SERVICE DIRECTORY, AND DATA

Fatima Cangas, Nomer Caceres PUBLIC POLICY VOLUNTEERS

Sandra Katz, Ralph “Skip” Schloming, Michelle Kasabula REGISTRATION DESK STAFF

Naomi Elliott, Caitlin Taylor, Kaitlin McMahon, Susan Bonica GRAPHIC DESIGN, ADVERTISER PROGRAM, AND CREATIVES

Ani Dmitrova

NEWSLETTER DESIGN

Ailar Arak

VIDEOGRAPHY

Paul Mong

TRANSCRIPTION

Prospero Pulma WEB DEVELOPMENT

Ian Hunter

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COUNSEL

Peter Vickery, Esq.

LOCAL VOLUNTEER TEAMS CHARLES RIVER

Garreth Brannigan, Charles O’Neill, Paul Harris, and more SPRINGFIELD

Cindy Nothe, Sheryl Chase, Russell Sabadosa, and more WORCESTER

Richard Trifone, Richard Merlino, Elaine Fisher, and more PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS SPOA

Suzanne Bloore, Alexandra Bartsch, Skip Schloming, Linda Levine, and more MWPOA

Sherri Way, Laurel Young, Daniel Schiappa, and more SWCLA

David Foote, Hunter Foote, Ronald Bernard, Donat Charon, Mary Chabot, and more With Immense Gratitude to Seven Decades of Past Volunteers Cover Art. MassLandlords Paul Nguyen series freely available for commercial use at masslandlords.net/resources/ worcester-photography/

Letter from the Executive Director: It’s Okay to Ask IN APRIL WE MADE EXCELLENT HEADWAY AGAINST OUR BACKLOG OF EVENT PLANNING, NEWSLETTER WORK, FINANCIAL CONTROLS, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. THIS MONTH I’D LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHERE WE ARE ON THIS UPWARD TRAJECTORY AND ALSO ASK A FAVOR. MassLandlords has grown out of a collection of allvolunteer clubs and associations. We launched in February 2014 with a simple mission: to create better rental housing in Massachusetts. We help owners rent their property and we advocate for better laws. At least, that’s the long-term mission. Short-term, we need to run essential operations with paid staff. The all-volunteer organizations of the past suffered burnout and other setbacks. With staff, we can serve our members indefinitely.

Three years after launch, we now have approximately four full time equivalent.

“Equivalent” means we have more than four staff, many of whom work part-time.

Bookkeeping, marketing, programming, design, and parts of service and admin are running smoothly.

Nonetheless, a very significant amount of work is still being done by volunteers, or by staff who are pitching in outside their job descriptions. And much to my regret, certain essential functions still remain undeveloped and understaffed.

Customer service and technical support is the one of the biggest “understaffed” functions. When we first launched, I handled all tech support and service, and all interactions were utterly cordial because I personally knew everyone who was asking for help. Now that we are over 1,400 paid members, and 2,400 newsletter subscribers, growing quickly each month, it is not possible for staff to have personal relationships with each member. As a result, some of our landlording family have been afraid to report issues or to make calls until they have boiled over in frustration.

Please, don’t let that be you.

Every member and subscriber is entirely welcome to call or email us for help the moment you start experiencing an issue with our site or services. These things have bugs, sometimes bad bugs, and we are squashing them only as time and resources permit. But if you talk to us, we can make anything right.

For members in particular: if you can log into the site, view the member home page and contact one or the team listed there. They can probably help you faster than I can. (Over the last six months, the volume of actionable requests I receive has left me backlogged 10 to 20 days; that is not the case for other staff). If you can’t log in, visit the /contact page and get in touch with someone listed there, either me, Alexis, or Sue, by phone. We are friendly and helpful and I guarantee you will be better off after. Long-term, we will provide better processes, hire dedicated support staff, and resolve every issue on the first call or email.

Short-term, help us help you by asking for help sooner, before it becomes an emergency. And remember that if you want landlord-tenant advice, our message boards and our events are two great resources for you. I look forward to hearing from you online or at an event soon!

Sincerely, Doug Quattrochi • dquattrochi@masslandlords.net

MassLandlords Newsletter • 3

May 2017

Ford’s Pest of the Month: Skunks Skunks are important to the balance of nature. Skunks are a member of the weasel family and have pointed noses and short legs, which make them waddle when they walk.

Skunks eat all rodents; black widow spiders, rattlesnakes, scorpions; and garden pests such as snails, crickets, gophers, grubs; cockroaches and pretty much all other insects. Skunks have strong feet with long nails that are useful in the search for grubs and insects.

They will dig under sheds, porches and

crawlspaces to create a den or use a woodpile. The female will have around five babies (kits) in a litter. Since they are nocturnal, skunks are rarely seen but often smelled during the warmer weather when they are out foraging for food. Many times dogs will challenge skunks and get sprayed. Skunks can spray accurately up to 15 feet but will give plenty of warning to stay away by fluffing its fur and stamping the ground along with growling.

When skunks are making repeated visits to your property it is usually due

to a food source close by. Birdfeeders, grubs and trash draw skunks and allow them to associate your property with food. Skunks love pet food and it is often used when our wildlife control specialist traps for skunks so you should never leave pet food outdoors.

Are you beeing bugged? Contact us at FORDSHOMETOWN.COM Geoffrey Ford, Vice President Ford’s Hometown Services

WORCESTER COUNTY MANAGEMENT Mike O'Rourke and Tim Collins

Apartment Rentals, Property Management, Plowing + Sanding + Removal, General Maintenance, Plumbing, Electrical

THANK YOU

NO JOB IS TOO SMALL

FOR REVIEWING

THE 2016

RENTAL FORMS!

4 • MassLandlords Newsletter

APARTMENT RENTAL

413-536-4000

508-853-4658

24 HOUR SERVICE

774-272-0248

Michael O'Rourke, Owner - mrorourkem@gmail.com

May 2017

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Adapted from our Message Boards, where members can ask questions and get answers. Practicing landlords and service providers answer questions, and we combine the best answers into one here.

Q: HOW DO I HANDLE LAST MONTH’S RENT IN MASSACHUSETTS? Unlike a security deposit, last month’s rent doesn’t need to be kept in a separate account. If it’s not in a separate bank account -- separate from your operating account -- then you have to pay 5% interest on the last month’s rent. But if it’s in a bank account that is separate, then whatever interest you get from the bank is the interest you pay to the tenant.

The law does require a specific receipt when you take the last month’s rent, as well as annual interest payments. If you don’t make the annual payment, the tenant can withhold their interest from the next month’s rent.

The law on last month’s rent calls for a fine of three times the amount of interest, plus attorney’s fees, if you haven’t paid all the interest owed within 30 days of the end of the tenancy. Compare this

with security deposit law, which calls for a fine of three times the amount of the deposit plus attorney’s fees if you mess up the paperwork or the interest payment at any time. In practice, this makes last month’s rent compliance far easier than security deposit compliance.

Q: I GAVE MY TENANT A 14-DAY NOTICE FOR NOT PAYING LAST MONTH’S RENT. HE GAVE ME A 30-DAY NOTICE (INTENT TO MOVE OUT) AND PAID LAST MONTH, BUT STILL OWES THIS MONTH. DO I DEPOSIT HIS CHECK? DO I GIVE ANOTHER NOTICE? The best advice is to consult with an attorney. When you accept his check, tell him you accept it for use and occupancy only and that he still owes the current month so you are still evicting him. Sign the back of the check “use and occupancy only” as well as telling him this.

Never give multiple notices. If this is the first nonpayment notice in twelve months, the tenant has the right to cure (meaning pay in full everything owed).

If he doesn’t cure, or if this isn’t the first nonpayment notice in twelve months, your existing notice stands.

The trick may be in proving the notice was delivered. Hopefully, you hired a constable or the sheriff’s civil process division to deliver the notice. If you just dropped it off in his mailbox, or taped it to his door, your tenant may claim they never got your notice. Paying to have notice served is worth the money.

If your tenant is willing to move out on their own, that’s great, but don’t delay your work to move through the court process. You can be lickety-split with court paperwork while also being friendly and nice and encouraging your tenant to leave on their own. The court process has enough delays, don’t add more by waiting to start. ML

SERVPRO® of South Worcester 508-757-7885 Independently Owned and Operated

MassLandlords Newsletter • 5

May 2017

HOW TO AVOID BEING SUED FOR TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION IN MASSACHUSETTS: A Landlord’s Guide In-depth article to familiarize yourself with transgender people so you can rent your apartment to the most qualified applicant.

A Suffolk law study released March 27, 2017 found that over half of us landlords are not treating transgender people equally in our rental process.

Someone is going to be the first landlord to get sued for it. Here’s an in-depth guide to help you avoid the first $30,000 fine that’s coming.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TRANSGENDER Human gender is determined at conception, when a male sperm cell gives either an “X” or a “Y” DNA strand to the female egg cell, which always gives an “X”. If you get “XY” you will become male, and if you get “XX” you will become female. Fast forward nine months and 10 to 18 years. Some of us will have developed serious psychological difficulty with the gender we were given. Those of us in this boat are called “transgender.”

Although science understands what makes us male or female, it has little insight to offer on our identity. Why does one person become a tenant and another become a landlord? Why does one person emote male stereotypes while another emotes female, and a third emotes both? Why do some of us feel we cannot fit into stereotypical conceptions of either gender at all?

“Transgender” is a broad term that encompasses all of the people confronting these as-yet unanswered questions. You can be born male and feel female, born female and feel male, or born either and feel both or neither. This contrasts with the majority of human experience, which we call “cisgender” 6 • MassLandlords Newsletter

A transgender pronoun card distributed by the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Source: https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/

(SISS-gender): if you are born male and you identify as male, or if you are born female and you identify as female.

Estimates of transgender frequency range from one-in-two-thousand to onein-one-hundred. This makes transgender people five to one-hundred times less common than gays and lesbians.

Note that sexual orientation (to whom we are attracted) is totally different from sexual identity (male, female, or queer).

Based on statistics about how many landlords there are in the state, it seems likely that one-in-ten landlords will have a transgender person in one of their apartments. Since July 1, 2012, Massachusetts transgender housing applicants must receive the same treatment as cisgender applicants.

MASSACHUSETTS MAY BE BEHIND THE TIMES For the last 2,500 years, southeast Asian cultures have identified transgender people as distinct from cisgender. In India, the term “hijra” is the officially

recognized “third gender” for males who identify as female. Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh all recognize three genders on passports and official government documents.

REAL EXAMPLES YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF Pay attention to these examples now so you can remain business-like during an apartment tour.

CAITLYN JENNER (MALE TO FEMALE) Caitlyn Jenner won her Olympic gold medal in 1976 in men’s decathlon, but in the June 2015 issue of Vanity Fair, came out as transgender. It is now considered inappropriate to refer to her by her former name (Bruce), or to use masculine pronouns to describe her.

She’s a she. It was a long road for Jenner to transition to the point where she had female anatomy. In her memoir she explained the surgical procedures she had. These were called “sex reassignment therapy.” She may also be on hormones.

May 2017

It is considered extremely rude to ask someone if they had surgery or are on hormones. Ask them if they have enough to pay the security deposit.

THOMAS BEATIE (FEMALE TO MALE) Beatie became internationally famous in 2007 when he became pregnant. He

had received sex reassignment therapy five years prior, but because his wife could not conceive, chose to keep his female sex organs and carry their children. (They used donor sperm.)

Beatie had begun identifying as male starting at age ten. Beatie and his wife later divorced.

As a landlord, it is not your job to identify which marriages will last and which will fail. Offer them the same lease or month-to-month terms you offer everyone else, and if you have it in the fridge, offer the father pickles and ice cream.

MILEY CYRUS (GENDER FLUID) Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She identifies as “gender fluid,” which means sometimes she identifies as female and sometimes as male.

Some gender fluid people use alternating pronouns. You can identify as the “owner” or the “landlord” as strikes your fancy.

THOMAS NEUWIRTH AKA CONCHITA WURST (DRAG)

Caitlyn Jenner made headlines Summer 2015. Image by Mike Mozart licensed CC BY 2.0.

Thomas Neuwirth does not identify as transgender, but he spends a considerable portion of his time in his professional outfit, which is drag. He refers to his professional character as Conchita Wurst using female pronouns.

MassLandlords Newsletter • 7

May 2017

She won the Eurovision music contest in 2014 but he is the one who does the grocery shopping. Count them as one person for the sake of sanitary code compliance.

accompanying this article. “She/he” becomes “Ze”, “Him/Her” becomes “Zir”, and “His/Hers” becomes “Zirs”. Other varieties of “he/him/his” exist, including “xe/xem/xyr” and “ve/ver/vis”.

When in doubt, the best thing to do is to avoid talking about your tenant.

And if you talk about xem behind xyr back, feel free to use “they/their/theirs” (we won’t judge).

LOGAN BECK IRELAND (FEMALE TO MALE) Senior Airman Logan Beck Ireland of the United States Air Force and his then fiancée Laila Villanueva were representative of most transgender people in their New York Times interview on serving in the military: you couldn’t even tell, and it doesn’t even matter. This variety of transgender is the easiest to understand because individuals remain “binary,” that is, they act and appear fully male or female. And because they received medical attention early in life, their transgender status is impossible to see.

Ireland made headlines for being forced to wear a woman’s dress uniform for a ceremony, because his birth certificate still listed him as male. As a landlord, thank him for his service and don’t ask him to put on a dress.

HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES OF NON-BINARY PEOPLE Some of us purposefully combine characteristics of both sexes. Those of us who do this call ourselves queer or nonbinary. Here are some hypotheticals that you should treat as normal if you find yourself meeting someone like this.

A tenant who appears to be fully male and acts fully male arrives for their tour wearing a sun dress. Use pronouns that relate to male (he/him/his) unless they tell you otherwise.

A tenant who appears to be fully female but is for some reason unconvincing to you arrives for their tour. Use pronouns that relate to female (she/her/hers) unless they tell you otherwise. (The person may be in transition, may be unable to obtain the effect they desire, or may in fact desire a blend of attributes.)

Two tenants who appear fully androgynous arrive for their tour. Use neutral pronouns that relate to no gender (them/they/theirs) unless they tell you otherwise. Try not to inquire about household roles, either, it’s not your business.

8 • MassLandlords Newsletter

LEGAL INFORMATION

Conchita Wurst is a drag character created by a man who does not identify as transgender.

Conchita Wurst at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen. By Albin Olsson licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

THE RISE OF NON-BINARY PRONOUNS Many languages, including English, have three genders for certain types of words. In English, we see this with “his, hers, and theirs.” “His” applies to males, “hers” to females, and “theirs” is plural according to grammarians, but gender-neuter in colloquial usage. Some transgender advocates are now insisting on a fourth gender-fluid form, “zirs.”

If a tenant wants you to use one of these contrived pronouns, you will hear something like what’s in the graphic

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination advises that it will rarely be appropriate to request proof of someone’s gender identity.

The guidance goes on to state further that claiming a gender identity for an improper purpose will be unlawful. This means you can still check CORI, for instance, and all other backgrounds. “I transitioned” is not a valid excuse not to investigate someone’s past.

When screening for criminal history, help your transgender applicant to complete just one CORI authorization with annotation. You must not impose unreasonable paperwork burdens.

Two CORI authorizations would be debatable, especially if you didn’t offer any help in filling them out.

If your applicant transitioned before 18, accept their current name and sex

Laila Villanueva and fiancee Logan Beck Ireland in 2015, both transgender in opposite directions.

By Dominic Holden BuzzFeed

on the CORI authorization. Run the report for that name and sex only. If they transitioned after 18, accept their current name and sex and make a note of their former name and sex on the same form. Run the CORI report twice, once for before and once for after their transition. You might say you don’t want to pay twice for a report, but $50 paid to CORI beats $30,000 paid to the MCAD or to the attorney general.

BEST ADVICE FOR MASSACHUSETTS LANDLORDS Landlords should also update their discrimination policies to state that you will not discriminate on the basis of gender identity.

You should always use an objective (read: point based) scoring system to score each individual applicant. Save these documents forever. You can defend yourself against a discrimination suit if you can show that there was a business reason you declined a transgender person’s application.

Never use the word “tranny,” which is considered deeply offensive. Do not laugh, stare, or say things like, “Oh, I could hardly tell!” If someone informs you they are transgender, say simply, “Thank you for letting me know, that is no problem.” And offer them the same perks, discounts or services you offered anyone else with their qualifications.

If a transgender person does have all the economic qualifications you need, don’t be afraid to rent to them. They are tough and can take care of themselves.

If they perceive that you are treating them no differently than any other human being, they might become longterm tenants, rather than re-enter the apartment market any time soon. This will reduce your vacancy and help your business bottom line. You will be ahead of the competition if you are welcoming to good people with bum raps.

One final note: The LGBT symbol is a rainbow. Imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same color.

Some of us are blue, some are green, and

some are so bluish-green you really can’t even tell, but who cares because hey look, a rainbow! ML

LINKS Suffolk law study: http://9nl.at/ ext_ssrn_transgenderdiscriminationboston Gender: http://9nl.at/ ext_wiki_sexdifferentiation Transgender frequency: http://9nl.at/ ext_wiki_lgbtdemographics July 1, 2012 law: http://9nl.at/ ext_bostoncom_genderidentityprotections Hijra: http://9nl.at/ext_wiki_hijra June 2015 Issue of Vanity Fair: http://9nl.at/ ext_vanityfair_caitlynjenner Transitioning: http://9nl.at/ ext_wiki_transitioning Beatie: http://9nl.at/ ext_wiki_thomasbeatie Ireland Headlines: http://9nl.at/ ext_nytimes_transgenderinwar MCAD advice: http://9nl.at/ ext_mass_genderidentityguidance

MassLandlords Newsletter • 9

May 2017

2017 DISCRIMINATION FINES ALREADY EXCEED $155,000, Target Nonprofit Landlords In press release, Attorney General suggests ways for other landlords to avoid fines.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy has averaged one housing case per month in the start of 2017, with an average settlement of $50,000, possibly twice as high as her predecessor’s average. The cases involved failure to make reasonable accommodations. Unusually, two of the three cases targeted nonprofits, which are not above reproach just because of their tax exempt “social welfare” status.

Under Massachusetts law, landlords cannot ignore or delay disability-related requests from disabled tenants. Disability is one set of so-called “protected classes.” See the full list of protected classes online.

HOUSING SOLUTIONS An East Wareham nonprofit owning 32 units has agreed in court to pay $15,000 to a tenant and $5,000 to the Commonwealth.

The nonprofit had sued their blind tenant, who has posttraumatic stress disorder, for having unauthorized animals.

The Attorney General’s statement did not indicate whether the animals were service animals or emotional support animals.

Instead the imprecise term “assistance animals” was used, implying perhaps that the tenant had one of each.

The nonprofit could have avoided this fine if they had engaged in dialog with their tenant about the need for the animals. A landlord could still decline to allow animals if the tenant is unable to avoid substantial negative impact on other residents.

RELATED COMPANIES The for-profit owners of Washington Heights, a Worcester complex, agreed in court to pay $60,000 in damages to their tenant and $15,000 to the Commonwealth.

Sometime before January 2013, a tenant at Washington heights suffered a stroke during childbirth and began using a wheelchair. In January 2013 she and her husband requested to move in the same complex to an accessible unit with a wheelchair ramp. There was a waitlist for these apartments.

The landlord suggested she move somewhere else. The tenant requested accessibility accommodations for her existing unit, including improvements to an existing sidewalk ramp.

The Commonwealth alleged the landlords refused or delayed responses to “the majority” of the tenant’s requests. The landlord and the Commonwealth agreed that in addition to the

10 • MassLandlords Newsletter

Washington Heights, Worcester. Image Copyright Google Maps.

fine, the company will undergo a HUD audit for accessibility, update its training, reeducate its employees, and inform tenants of their rights.

To avoid these fines, the landlord likely should not have suggested the tenant move. Also, whatever requests were made turned out in hindsight to be “reasonable” compared to the revenue of the complex. The landlord’s fines were almost certainly higher than what accommodation would have cost.

ROXBURY TENANTS ASSOCIATION A Boston tenant nonprofit, owner of the Mission Park apartments, will pay $40,000 to a tenant, $15,000 to the Commonwealth, and $5,000 for a program to inform tenants of their rights.

Starting an unspecified time ago, the mother of a tenant with spina bifida began requesting a wheelchair accessible unit for her and her daughter. In the meantime, the tenant’s mother requested changes to the apartment. The nonprofit sought to defeat the request with bureaucracy and paperwork.

According to the attorney general, this fine could have been avoided if the nonprofit had engaged in interactive dialog, provided accommodations, and eliminated paperwork that had no purpose other than to slow down the requests.

Read the Attorney General’s press release for yourself. ML

LINKS Press Release: http://9nl.at/ ext_massgov_201701housingdiscrimination MA protected classes: https://masslandlords.net/laws/discrimination

Tired of being a Landlord?

SELL US YOUR MULTIFAMILY!

508-799-7655

HamptonPropertiesLLC.com

We specialize in short sales!

All information will be kept confidential.

Protect Your Home

tel. 508-791-1141 info@JJMInsurance.com fax 508-753-5630

May 2017

LESS COST, MUCH MORE REPORTING

Under Proposed Changes to Massachusetts Lead Law Under Massachusetts law, landlords cannot have children under the age of six living in an apartment with lead hazards or unknown lead.

Massachusetts regulators and representatives have independently proposed changes to Massachusetts’ lead laws. If all of the proposed changes pass, deleading costs would decrease by 40%, lead poisoning reports would increase by a factor of ten, and both deleading tax credits and discrimination fines would double.

There is no known benefit to lead in the body. It is so toxic to children that 0.000000007 ounces in a quart of blood will impair a child’s development, according to the CDC. The CDC limit is usually expressed as 5 µg/dL (micrograms per deciliter).

For a typical child, this equates to a lead particle much smaller than a grain of sand.

PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health proposed new regulations on July 13, 2016. These regulations would do six things.

First, the regulations would lower the blood lead level at which a child is considered “poisoned” from 25 µg/dL to 10 µg/dL. This is still above the CDC guidelines. This will increase the frequency with which inspectors must enter apartments and children must receive treatment.

Second, the regulations would lower the blood lead “level of concern” from 15 µg/dL to 5 µg/dL. This would enable the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program to offer voluntary services to more clients.

Third, any child at or above the “level of concern” would receive more precise testing to be sure that they aren’t actually poisoned.

Fourth, the regulations would redefine “accessible, mouthable

Dutch Boy used to advertise lead as a product feature. Dutch Boy White Lead Paint Can by Thester.

surfaces” to exclude wall corners, door casings, window casings, and chair rails. These surfaces could remain lead paint as long as they were intact. Window sills, door jambs, stair handrails, stair treads, and risers would still be considered accessible, mouthable.

Fifth, regulations on encapsulants would be substantially deleted in favor of regulations put forth by the American Society of Testing and Materials.

Sixth, CLPPP would be granted leeway to set its own pre- and post-compliance inspection processes.

Overall, these proposed regulations are expected to decrease deleading costs by 40%, while increasing the number of lead poisoning cases by ten times.

Read the current regulations and proposed changes for yourself.

PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE CHANGES MassLandlords submitted a blog article as testimony concerning the MassLandlords Newsletter • 13

May 2017

new regulations. In it, we were critical of the changes because they didn’t come from the legislature, which must approve and budget for the changes, especially with respect to the deleading credit. We may have had an impact.

On January 13, 2017, Jeffrey Sánchez filed House No. 1626, which repeats some of the proposed regulatory changes but also increases the deleading credit (while also increasing the penalties).

First, House 1626 lowers the blood lead level for both poisoning and “concern,” as explained above.

Second, House 1626 doubles the deleading credit from $1,500 to $3,000, and doubles the credit for a letter of interim control from $500 to $1,000.

Third, House 1626 increases the discrimination fine from $10,000 to $20,000 for the first offense, and from $25,000 to $35,000 for the second offense in five years.

14 • MassLandlords Newsletter

Presumably the legislature will also provide funding for the regulatory agency as it sees fit.

Read the bill for yourself.

LEAD PAINT CATCH-22 Massachusetts law places landlords in a Catch-22. You cannot discriminate against children, but you cannot have children living in an apartment with lead hazards or unknown lead. You must delead. This is why the deleading credit is essential. Lead is a problem inherited from past generations. Society as a whole must bear the cost, not just private landlords.

IS THIS GOOD POLICY? Overall, the regulations and bill combined probably move us in the right direction. The regulations alone would be an unfunded mandate, but the bill would provide at least a little extra funding for deleading. The deleading

credit is still inadequate, and hasn’t kept pace with inflation. See our article from last September, “Proposed Lead Paint Regulations are Flaky.”

These regulations are expected to take effect soon. We will keep you posted. ML

LINKS Current regulations: http://34.gs/ ext_105cmr460_lead Proposed changes: http://45.gs/ ext_massgov_leadregs2016 $1,500 lead credit: http://9nl.at/ ext_malegislature_ch62s6leadcredit $10,000 discrimination fine: http://9nl.at/ ext_malegislature_ch151bs5_disc Bill: http://9nl.at/ext_ malegislature_2017h1626 Ten Times, and Proposed Lead Paint Regulations are Flaky: http://34.gs/ blog_leadpaintregulationsflaky

339-219-0300

www.scudderbay.com

NEED MORE TIME TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?

Give the day-to-day to an expert * SERVING PROPERTIES FROM BOSTON TO WORCESTER * REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS AND INCREASE REVENUE * INCREASE TENANT RETENTION AND REDUCE VACANCY LOSSES * PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE WITH ONLINE ACCESS TO CRITICAL INFORMATION

Commercial Real Estate Loans As a major provider of loans that have contributed to Central New England’s growth, Commerce Bank specializes in financing: office, industrial, retail, healthcare and apartment buildings.

Contact our team of commercial real estate lenders today to discuss how we may help your business and finance your next commercial real estate project.

Call 800.698.BANK (2265).

www.BankAtCommerce.com Loans are subject to credit approval. Commerce Bank is a registered service mark in Massachusetts of Commerce Bank & Trust Company. ©2015 Commerce Bank & Trust Company. Commerce Bank member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. All rights reserved.

INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS. SUPPORT PROPERTY RIGHTS ADVOCACY Property Rights Supporters make small monthly donations.

Proceeds fund MassLandlords' work to reform rent escrow, late fees and more.

HTTPS://MASSLANDLORDS.NET/PROPERTY

THE MARKET IS STRONG

May 2017

& THE BUYERS ARE MOTIVATED.

DON'T MISS THIS GREAT TIME TO SELL.

CALL TODAY!

Capital Market Team

Multi Family & Investment R.E. Brokers

office: 413.253.3700

cell: 617.448.5835 James D Linfield, C.C.I.M.

Certified Commercial Investment Member

www.capitalmarketteam.com

Seeking Willing Sellers Listings Not Required

ARTICLE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Public Records Reveal Walsh Lied About Jim Brooks Act Unfortunately, this was no April Fools.

Mayor Marty Walsh lied when he said local property owners were consulted when the Jim Brooks Act was being constructed.

On March 27, public records released to MassLandlords contradicted a December 6 statement made by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, that “the text of the [Jim Brooks] petition was the result of many months of conversations between the City, the advocacy community, and local property owners.” According to the records, no conversations took place with owners prior to the Mayor’s December 6, 2016 statement.

To read the full article, visit MassLandlords.net/public-records-reveal-walsh-lied-jim-brooks-act Capture of this article in the print version of the April 2017 newsletter. Includes picture of copy of our public records request by Peter Vickery.

MassLandlords Newsletter • 17

May 2017

Pros and Cons of COLLEGE SUBLETTING

If you aren't careful with subletting, your rental could end up looking like this college building, the MIT Stata Center. (It was purposefully designed to look slapdash.)

Photograph by Pablo Valerio license CC-BY.

Should landlords in Massachusetts allow their college student residents to sublet over the summer? Read our pros and cons to find out.

The traditional college year is coming to a close. Unless your student tenants are taking summer courses, chances are a majority of them will be looking to leave until September. Should you allow your tenants to sublet?

WHAT IS A SUBLET? A sublease or a sublet is a tenant who rents from your tenant. This can be created by a verbal or a written agreement between the two parties.

The agreement can be provided by you or by your tenant. The sublessee can be screened by you or by your tenant.

18 • MassLandlords Newsletter

You can have a policy of full disclosure or “don’t ask, don’t tell.” There are many varieties of sublease. Keep this in mind as we review each pro and con below.

PROS OF ALLOWING SUBLETTING Continuing Maintenance Requests It’s easy to wince when someone reports a problem in their unit, but we all should be thankful when this happens. Small problems inevitable become big ones with neglect. If you permit subletting, your property won’t be vacant all summer when the students head home on vacation. This leaves less chance for mushrooming maintenance issues. If there’s leak from the roof or another unit, it will be detected promptly. Toilet traps won’t dry out. And there won’t be other odors from forgotten food. Having someone in the unit may also deter vandalism or break-in’s.

Higher Rent/Lower Vacancy Cost Rental agreements that explicitly allow subletting are more attractive to tenants, and can command higher rents. They can also be filled faster when they come vacant. The primary tenants will have a long-term home, but they won’t have to pay rent when they’re not using it in the summer. If you’re advertising as sublet-friendly, you can take charge of the situation by also requiring tenants to use your own sublet agreements. This brings us to the next point.

Indemnity is Possible You can construct a rental agreement to allow subletting but to have the tenant (or better yet, their parent cosigners) specifically indemnify you against damage to the unit, unpaid rent, or legal costs if there’s an issue with their sublessee. And you can require them

May 2017

to use a sublease agreement that has the same indemnity for your tenants and that prohibits sub-subleases. This puts the burden where it belongs, on the subletter. You can also screen the sublessees the way you want it done.

CONS OF COLLEGE SUBLETTING Strangers in the Building You have a new set of renters coming in who will increase the transient feel of your building. This matters most if you have year-round renters in other units.

Transient residents can also impact efforts you may have underway with other units to enforce no-trespass orders or other guest policies. The strangers will be not just the new sublessees, but also their guests and possible sub-sublessees.

Potential for Uncompensated Loss If you have a good rental agreement, the original tenant will still be responsible for damages or problems even if caused

by the sublessee. But any sublessee might not care as much for the place, or might not appreciate your attention to lease restrictions. Certainly the sublessee will have less investment than a long-term tenant in their short-term home.

If a problem became so bad that an eviction of the sublessee became necessary, this would fall on your shoulders as the landlord. Also, depending on the situation, you might need to evict both the original tenant and the subletter. This is problematic if you had been “hands off” about subletting, because at this point you might not even know the subletter’s name.

Once you’re through court, you still have to enforce the indemnity clause against your original tenant or their parent cosigners. In practice this may be too difficult to accomplish, and you might eat the costs of whatever happened.

BEST PRACTICE If you intend to sublet, be hands-on.

Long before the semester ends, remind your students that all sublets must pass your rental screen. Give them a copy of your scoring system so they can see how it works. This will let your tenants pre-screen candidates before you spend your time on them. It will also help them to set expectations, because maybe you won’t find a sublet. You can screen the subletters yourself and give your own subleases for the tenant and subletter to sign.

On the other hand, if you don’t intend to sublet, remind your tenants that subletting is prohibited under the rental agreement and wish them a great summer.

Do you have experience subletting?

We’d love to hear what you think!

Email info@masslandlords.net, subject “Subletting article.” ML

ATTORNEY PETER VICKERY Advocate for landlords and small businesses.

413.549.9933 petervickery.com

MassLandlords Newsletter • 19

May 2017

Do you Screen <4 Tenants Per Year?

We wrote an article a while back comparing screening options.

Small landlords who want to see a real FICO score without an on-site inspection should click the SmartScreen ad we're now running on the site. Each SmartScreen report you order by clicking from MassLandlords.net supports our work.

NO SITE INSPECTION REQUIRED Many landlords were grandfathered in and never had site inspections. New landlords usually need to be inspected. New small landlords operating out of their kitchen cannot pass an on-site inspection. This is why we looked for (and found) SmartScreen.

THE BEST VALUE FOR LOW VOLUME SCREENERS If you have fewer than four vacancies a year, SmartScreen is the cheapest way

20 â&#x20AC;˘ MassLandlords Newsletter

to get real credit data. If you have four vacancies or more each year, you can save money with another service by paying their monthly or annual fees in exchange for a lower per-report cost.

SmartScreen has no monthly or annual fee. Some competitors are cheaper but they don't give real credit data, they only give you a surrogate score. Be careful. If you don't get an actual FICO score, you are paying for someone else to evaluate the tenant's credit. You get what you pay for.

Note: members can log in to get a couponcode for discounts.

MassLandlords receives an affiliate commission for each screening report processed.

May 2017

May 2017

REGIONAL

Cambridge: Season Finale – Q-tip Trusts & Expert Landlord Advice MONDAY, JUNE 19TH MEETING AGENDA 5:30pm Registration, Socializing and Networking 6:15pm Buffet Dinner in the Venture Cafe 6:50pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update 7:00pm Successful Landlording (Speaker TBA) 7:45pm Edward Rowell with Q-tip Trusts 8:15pm Networking 9:00pm Doors close

LOCATION Cambridge Innovation Center 1 Broadway (5th Floor) Cambridge, MA 02142 PRICING

Early-bird ends on May 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $19.50 Members: $15.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After May 5th at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $25.00 Members: $20.00

MassLandlords Newsletter • 21

May 2017

REGIONAL Cambridge: Landlords Unite to End Homelessness Calling all Patriots! Learn how you can fill a vacancy by renting a unit to one of America’s Heroes!

Ryan McClusky & Marta Budu-Authur from the New England Center and Home for Veterans will be joining us to tell us about Supportive Services for Veterans and their Families (SSVF). The New England Center and Home for Veterans works closely with landlords to create sustainable housing for homeless veterans. They provide 6+ months of support for both the landlord and veteran, are always available by cell phone to resolve issues, and conduct weekly check-ins to ensure success. By providing financial, housing and career assistance to these Veterans in dire need, the SSVF has Reduced Homelessness Nationwide by 47% and has kept 91% of Veteran Family Households housed after program exit. Join us to learn how to be a hero to a Veteran in need.

MassLandlords’ own Doug Quattrochi has spent years working on bringing Insurance Against Homelessness to Massachusetts. Stemming from a successful program in Seattle, MassLandlords’ proposed Insurance Against Homelessness was designed for landlords by landlords. The way the program could work in Massachusetts: landlords would receive $10,000 insurance for unpaid rent, damage, and attorney’s fees incurred in the first two years tenancy, tenants are forgiven minor CORI and past homelessness on the rental application, and the Commonwealth pays for a dedicated landlord adviser to mediate disputes and safeguard the states interest in the guarantee. Insurance Against Homelessness would supplement existing programs like HomeBASE, MRVP, and Section 8 to reduce the landlords’ perception of risk. We believe that this program would be a ‘win, win win’ for the Commonwealth, landlords and tenants. Help us to get this project off the ground by joining us on May 15th!

“On any given night in Massachusetts, more than 13,000 individuals in families experience homelessness.

Approximately 60 percent of them are children, according to a recent report by the Boston Foundation, The Growing Challenge of Family Homelessness.”

- Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram MONDAY, MAY 15TH MEETING AGENDA 5:30pm Registration, Socializing and Networking 6:15pm Buffet Dinner in the Venture Cafe 6:50pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update 7:00pm Ryan McClusky & Marta Budu-Authur: Housing Homeless Veterans 7:35pm DIY tips and tricks (TBD) 7:45pm Doug Quattrochi Insurance Against Homelessness 8:15pm Networking 9:00pm Doors close LOCATION Cambridge Innovation Center 1 Broadway (5th Floor) Cambridge, MA 02142 FOOD

22 • MassLandlords Newsletter

Assorted Buffet (Meat and Vegetarian options available) Salad Beverages Desserts * If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible so we can try to accommodate you.

May 2017

REGIONAL PRICING

Please prepay in advance to receive early-bird pricing. The caterer requires this much notice for food orders.

Early-bird ends on May 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $19.50 Members: $15.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After May 5th at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $25.00 Members: $20.00

As an attorney, Timothy F. Sullivan operated a general practice of law, with a focus on land use, estate administration, real estate conveyancing, and landlord-tenant law. He also served as a volunteer conciliator through the Essex County Bar Association, assisting in the resolution of landlord- tenant cases at Lynn District Court. Last October, Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey named him to his current position as Housing Court Chief.

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords volunteers and staff.

Waltham: Housing Court In-depth with Chief Justice Tim Sullivan For our Season Finale, we’re offering a unique opportunity for landlords! The Honorable Tim Sullivan, Chief Justice of the Housing Court, will be presenting on the recent housing court expansion, ins-and-outs of housing court, housing initiatives, and the modernization of the courts.

The expansion of the housing court into Waltham means that you might end up in housing court when you prefer district court instead. The Chief Justice wants suggestions for improvement. So whether you’ve been itching to ask an eviction question or call attention to unfairness all polite contributions will be taken from the audience. This is your chance to share your housing court experiences with someone who both cares AND can fix the issues at hand.

“Chief Justice Sullivan has earned a reputation with his colleagues for being accessible, approachable and receptive to addressing diverse concerns.”

- Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey TUESDAY, JUNE 20TH MEETING AGENDA 6:15pm Networking/Dinner Buffet Dinner Cash Bar 6:45pm Local Leader Calls Meeting to Order 6:50pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update 7:05pm Chief Justice Tim Sullivan 8:00pm Networking 8:30pm Doors Close LOCATION NEW

Copper House Tavern (Private Room) 380 Winter St. Waltham, MA 02451

MassLandlords Newsletter • 23

May 2017

REGIONAL FOOD

PRICING

Cash Bar - over 40 craft beers on draught and hand crafted cocktails Unlimited Buffet in the Copper House Contemporary Style Hummus with Mediterranean vegetables and grilled flatbread Spinach, Caramelized onion & Goat cheese Quesadillas Chipotle Chicken Skewers with blue cheese Artisan Cheeseburger Sliders Al Fresco Pizza Soda, Water, Tea Dessert * Please disclose any dietary restrictions to Alexis at agee@masslandlords.net and we will try to accommodate you.

Please prepay in advance to receive the discounted pricing. The venue requires this much notice for our reservation.

Early-bird until May 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $23.50 Members: $18.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After May 5th or at the door: Non-members: $30.00 Members: $26.00

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords volunteers and staff.

Waltham: A Special Evening with Richard Vetstein, Famed Real Estate Attorney We are Star Struck!

Founder of the Vetstein Law Group, Nationally Acclaimed Law Blogger and Superbly Rated lawyer, Richard Vetstein will be joining us this month!

Unlimited Buffet in the Copper House Contemporary Style In his famous blog, Attorney Vetstein goes in-depth on topics like: new foreclosure rules, recreational marijuana, student housing and “no more than 4 rules, renting to criminals, and security deposits. Join us as we learn from the real estate law expert!

24 • MassLandlords Newsletter

As a nationally recognized real estate attorney and litigator, Richard D. Vetstein, Esq., is a trusted source of legal knowledge. You may have read his commentary in publications such as The Boston Globe, Banker & Tradesman, Wall Street Journal SmartMoney.com, Bloomberg News, and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Recently, Inman News selected Attorney Vetstein as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate. Mr. Vetstein holds many important roles; he is a Feature Contributor to AOL Real Estate, the Co-Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Title & Conveyancing Committee, he also testified at the Mass. State House in support of the Rent Escrow Bill and lobbied for the Act Clearing Title to Foreclosed Properties.

TUESDAY, MAY 16TH MEETING AGENDA 6:15pm Networking/Dinner Buffet Dinner Cash Bar 6:45pm Local Leader Calls Meeting to Order 6:50pm Executive Director Doug Quattrochi with the MassLandlords Business Update 7:05pm Attorney Richard Vetstein 8:00pm Networking 8:30pm Doors Close LOCATION NEW

Copper House Tavern (Private Room) 380 Winter St. Waltham, MA 02451

May 2017

REGIONAL FOOD

Cash Bar – over 40 craft beers on draught and hand crafted cocktails Unlimited Buffet in the Copper House Contemporary Style Hummus with Mediterranean vegetables and grilled flatbread Spinach, Caramelized onion & Goat cheese Quesadillas Chipotle Chicken Skewers with blue cheese Artisan Cheeseburger Sliders Al Fresco Pizza Soda, Water, Tea Dessert * Attendees are free to order at the bar at their own expense. Please disclose any dietary restrictions to Alexis at agee@masslandlords.net and we will try to accommodate you.

PRICING

Please prepay in advance to receive the discounted pricing. The venue requires this much notice for our reservation.

Early-bird until May 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $23.50 Members: $18.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After May 5th or at the door: Non-members: $30.00 Members: $26.00

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords volunteers and staff.

Springfield: Security Deposit Update with Attorney Larry Farber Season Finale: Legislature Surrounding Security Deposits is Changing!

Are you at risk of triple damages? How can we reform security deposit law? Attorney Larry Farber has been practicing for decades; taking on cases that deal with things like discrimination, mold and security deposits. He just finished a brief to the Supreme Judicial Court on security deposit laws and has drafted edits to a proposed statute to change the security deposit laws in Massachusetts. The security deposit issue is highly relevant given the recent movement in both the courts and legislature on the issue. Join us to learn about the changes and how they effect you!

“This Attorney is such a good speaker, when we said he would be talking, the Springfield board of advisors jumped out of their seats in excitement.”

- Doug Quattrochi, Executive Director THURSDAY, JUNE 15TH MEETING AGENDA 5:30pm Socializing and Networking Cash bar 6:00pm Buffet dinner 6:45pm State-wide Business Update and Member Minutes 7:00pm Local Updates 7:05pm Legal Update 7:20pm Security Deposit Update with Attorney Farber 8:20pm Networking 9:00pm Doors Close LOCATION Twin Hills Country Club 700 Wolf Swamp Rd Longmeadow, MA 01106 FOOD

Hot Buffet Dinner Cash bar Hot Coffee & Tea Dessert * If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible so we can provide options for you.

MassLandlords Newsletter • 25

May 2017

REGIONAL PRICING

Please prepay at least 10 days in advance to receive the early bird discount. This also helps us order the right amount of food for the evening.

Members must log in to MassLandlords. net before trying to purchase a ticket at the member price.

Early bird only until June 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $30.00 Members: $26.00 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After June 5th at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $35.00 Members: $30.00

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords staff and volunteers.

Springfield: De-leading in Depth with Dave Burgess Lead Expert Dave Burgess, President of Emerald Lead Testing, will be joining us to dive into De-leading and to give us an update on the new lead laws. Massachusetts has some of the toughest lead laws in the country. However, the lead laws were just recently comprehensively overhauled and many major changes were made which might leave your certification of compliance void! So if you have property built before 1978, you need to come to this meeting. Remember that a landlord is responsible for lead poisoning of any child under six without a valid certificate of compliance. Join us to learn all about de-leading and bring your certification to find out if it’s still valid!

THURSDAY, MAY 11TH MEETING AGENDA 5:30pm Socializing and Networking Cash bar 6:00pm Buffet dinner 6:45pm State-wide Business Update and Member Minutes 7:00pm Local Updates 7:05pm Legal Update with Katharine Higgins-Shea: Reasonable Accommodations 7:20pm De-leading with Dave Burgess 8:20pm Networking 9:00pm Doors Close LOCATION Twin Hills Country Club 700 Wolf Swamp Rd Longmeadow, MA 01106 FOOD

Hot Buffet Dinner Cash bar Hot Coffee & Tea Dessert * If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know as soon as possible so we can provide options for you.

PRICING

Please prepay at least 10 days in advance to receive the early bird discount. This also helps us order the right amount of food for the evening.

Members must log in to MassLandlords. net before trying to purchase a ticket at the member price.

Early bird only until May 1st at 12pm: Non-members: $30.00 Members: $26.00 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) After May 1st at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $35.00 Members: $30.00

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords staff and volunteers.

“When enacted, this will be the biggest overhaul to Mass. lead laws in decades.”

- Doug Quattrochi, Executive Director 26 • MassLandlords Newsletter

May 2017

REGIONAL Worcester: Bulletproof Rental Agreements & Protecting Your Assets Our Season Finale is Here and We’re Going Out with an Info Packed Extravaganza!

accompanied by Attorney Melissa Gleick. Doug will go through the step-by-step process of how to set up LLCs and Attorney Gleick will be there to provide detailed answers to questions. Learn how legal entities are like castles and how insurance is the front line of defense.

In March we released our new rental forms to be easier to read and include new features like: a utilities table, prohibition of AirBnB, prohibition of Marijuana growing, friendlier terminology (Tenant > Resident), clear list of “will” and “will not”, and a library of optional clauses. Attorney Mark Lee will review these features in-depth on the best ways to use our rental forms and give you tips and tricks for your own forms. It’s likely that a majority of landlords’ rental forms are now out-of-date due to changes in marijuana laws, just cause eviction/rent control and the infamous AirBnB. So why pay for an attorney to draft a rental agreement when Masslandlords members get ours for free!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14TH MEETING AGENDA 5:45pm Socializing and Networking Network over drinks and appetizers Topics will be marked off by table for one-on-one help 6:15pm Buffet Dinner 6:40pm MassLandlords Business Update and Member Minutes 7:00pm Rich Merlino Meeting Introduction 7:05pm Attorney Mark Lee with Rental Agreements 7:50pm Doug Quattrochi and Melissa Gleick with Asset Protection 8:35pm Networking 9:00pm Doors close LOCATION Worcester Technical High School 1 Skyline Dr Worcester, MA 01603 FOOD Ask and you shall receive! We’ve gotten my requests for a presentation on asset protection so we’ve created the perfcet presentation just for you! If you got sued tomorrow, would you be at risk of losing everything? Is your trust protecting your assets the way you think? Join us on June 14th to learn how to protect your assets from Doug Quattrochi

Cheese and crackers, sodas, water Buffet dinner and refreshments Desserts

MassLandlords Newsletter • 27

May 2017

REGIONAL PRICING

Please prepay in advance to receive the discounted pricing. The school requires this much notice for food orders.

Early-bird until June 5th at 12pm: Non-members: $19.50 Members: $13.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) Premium Members: No charge and no need to register After June 5th at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $22 Members: $17 Premium Members: No charge and no need to register

Bonus! Executive Director Doug Quattrochi will give a brief overview of the eviction process while Judge Horan listens in so she can give her commentary when needed. This is definitely not the meeting to miss! **Please note that this meeting will not be recorded and it will be standing room only so please purchase your tickets ASAP!**

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords volunteers and staff.

Worcester: Judge Horan & Clerk Magistrate Moudios from Housing Court Judge Horan could potentially ruin your year, but she’s kind enough to join us, despite her busy schedule, to help you help yourself if you ever end up in housing court (knock on wood - let’s hope not!)

This could be our most important meeting of the year!

First Justice Diana Horan will be joining us to answer your questions on tenant evictions, common mistakes she sees landlords make, and so much more. This is an eye-opening opportunity to get the inside scoop from a Worcester Housing Court authority. We encourage paid members to submit any questions they may have to the WPOA message board by or before May 3rd so we can submit them to Judge Horan. Nonregistrants can expect standing room only, because this is going to be a full house! Please register early!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH MEETING AGENDA 5:45pm Socializing and Networking Network over drinks and appetizers Topics will be marked off by table for one-on-one help 6:15pm Buffet Dinner 6:40pm MassLandlords Business Update and Member Minutes 7:00pm Rich Merlino Meeting Introduction 7:05pm Doug Quattrochi with Eviction Overview 7:15pm Judge Horan and Clerk Magistrate Moudios 8:20pm Networking 9:00pm Doors close LOCATION Worcester Technical High School 1 Skyline Dr Worcester, MA 01603

28 • MassLandlords Newsletter

May 2017

REGIONAL FOOD

PRICING

Cheese and crackers, sodas, water Buffet dinner and refreshments Desserts Please prepay in advance to receive the discounted pricing. The school requires this much notice for food orders.

Early-bird until May 1st at 12pm: Non-members: $19.50 Members: $13.50 (log in before you register or you will see the non-member price) Premium Members: No charge and no need to register After May 1st at 12pm or at the door: Non-members: $22 Members: $17 Premium Members: No charge and no need to register

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by MassLandlords volunteers and staff.

Southbridge: Best Practices – The Season Finale

FOOD

Pizza and Beverages

PRICING

Members and non-members are welcome.

Members are admitted for free Non-members are free the first time, then pay $50/yr.

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by volunteers at a partner association.

Tickets are not required. Members can just show up.

Southbridge: Best Practices – The Lease Agreement Our Best Practices for the Massachusetts Landlord series continues with an in-depth discussion of the lease agreement.

A lease is a contract between a landlord and a tenant whereby both parties agree to abide by the terms set forth in it. In accordance with Massachusetts law, every rental agreement must have certain terms, and is prohibited from containing certain other terms. We will explore these criteria, plus all other clauses that must be included in the lease agreement to protect a landlords interests. Please bring your lease agreement and your experiences – and be part of the discussion!

MONDAY, MAY 1ST MEETING AGENDA 7:00pm Meeting 7:45pm Pizza break 8:00pm Meeting wrap-up 8:30pm Networking LOCATION Southbridge Communtiy Center (aka Casuabon Senior Center) 153 Chestnut St. Sturbridge, MA 01550

MONDAY, JUNE 5TH MEETING AGENDA 7:00p Meeting 7:45p Pizza break 8:00p Meeting wrap-up 8:30p Networking

FOOD

Pizza and Beverages

PRICING

Members and non-members are welcome.

Members are admitted for free Non-members are free the first time, then pay $50/yr.

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by volunteers at a partner association.

Tickets are not required. Members can just show up.

LOCATION Southbridge Communtiy Center (aka Casuabon Senior Center) 153 Chestnut St. Southbridge, MA 01550

MassLandlords Newsletter • 29

May 2017

REGIONAL Marlborough: De-Leading 101 John Risko, founder of JHR Environmental Testing, will be joining us to educate us on de-leading. Most homes in Massachusetts built prior to 1978 contain lead based paint.

A lead paint inspection is a requirement in Massachusetts.

John will delve into things like: lead paint inspections, risk assessments and subsequent clearance inspections. Come prepared with all your de-leading questions!

We’ll be dining together again this month on a spread of sandwiches, salad and treats.

LOCATION AHEPA 80 Northboro Rd Marlborough, Ma. 01752 FOOD

Panera sandwiches, salads Beverages Cookies

PRICING

Members and non-members are welcome.

MassLandlords.net/MWPOA Members pay $50 annual MWPOA dues and each meeting is free MassLandlords.net Members and Non-members $5

Members should log in for member pricing.

Membership options. Please note: this event is run by volunteers at a partner association.

Marlborough: No Meeting in June!

TUESDAY, MAY 9TH MEETING AGENDA 6:30pm Registration, socializing and dinner 7:00pm Association and MassLandlords Business Updates 7:10pm John Risko: De-Leading 101

RECORD TITLE & LAW OFFICES

OF STANLEY D. KOMACK 20,000

closings Landlord-tenant law + free initial consultation for members

117 Park Ave Ste 201 West Springfield, MA 01089

(413) 785-1851 30 • MassLandlords Newsletter

Own Rental Property? We can save you money with our

Guaranteed Lowest Prices and a 3% discount on all your purchases!

Kitchens

Flooring Bathrooms Windows and Doors

Mass Locations: Springfield, Chicopee, Auburn, Dudley, Walpole, Malden, Roslindale, Brockton, Plymouth and New Bedford

Join Our Landlord Program Today! ww.bargainâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;outlets.com www.bargain-outlets.com

May 2017

MassLandlords One Broadway, Floor 14 Cambridge, MA 02142

SUBSCRIBE TODAY Perfect to share at the office. Priced atcost for $60 per year. Mail your check to MassLandlords, PO Box 844570, Boston, MA 02284-4570 or join online at masslandlords.net/print Support better housing policy and housing journalism in Massachusetts.

32 â&#x20AC;˘ MassLandlords Newsletter